What To Do This Weekend, May 15-18

Want to add some pizazz to your nightly noshing? Get the skinny on paneer, raita, and vindaloo at this Indian cooking class at NoMa’s Union Market. Deepa Patke of Aromatic Spice Blends will walk and talk folks through working with Indian spices and cooking four of the subcontinent’s signature dishes. Afterwards, get all the spices you need to make these dishes at home at the market’s Bazaar Spices.

Arena Stage invited nine ensembles with over a hundred of the District’s most talented and creative young artists to write and perform new plays exploring issues of social justice, cultural identity, and personal growth. Thursday is night two of this four-night festival.

For a growing number of district commuters, every day is bike to work day. But Friday is the only day you get a free t-shirt for doing it. Riders can get refreshments, enter raffles, and get their shirt at one of 79 pit stops across the city, so tuck your pants into your sock and strap on your helmet for Bike to Work day.

Local nonprofit Phoenix Bikes, who do awesome work with Arlington youth, are turning a Crystal City parking garage into a race course. Commuters and weekend warriors can channel their inner bike messenger and compete in a number of races, from sprints to team relays. Wanna watch the action from the safe distance with a beverage in your hand? Spectators get in free and can avail themselves of the Phoenix Lounge—a bar and display area in the center of the course.

This weekend, members of the Mid City Artists collective open up their studios to art lovers and curious visitors. Spend the day meeting local artists, scoping out their work, and getting a window into the creative process in DC’s fanciful Logan Circle, Dupont Circle and U Street neighborhoods. There’s even an option for a guided tour with an art expert if you sign up in advance.

Dragon boats originated in China’s Pearl River Delta, and for more than 2000 years these wooden watercraft were raced as part of China’s Duanwu Festival. These days, dragon boats are made from carbon fiber and other high-tech materials and are raced at dragon boat festivals around the world. Cheer on the racers and take part in traditional ceremonies and arts and crafts at DC’s own festival on the Potomac.